Trench digger



Aug. 21, 1928.

C. C. HANSEN TRENCH DIGGER Q Q mY m Q va E mw. m mm ham? m a A m A; F

Aug. 21, 1928.

C. C. HANSEN "TRENCH DIGGER Filed Aug. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W r 76 %.F/ ,JJW B M W .V P 0 w 1% 1 Y n w a E d c INVENTOR. aw eslfl' (15 1 BY M H05 ATTO NEY Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. HANSEN; OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ING-ERSOLL-RAND COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

:rnmvon BIGGER.

' Application filed August 2, 1927. Serial No. 210,185.

This invention relates to shoveling or excavating machines but more particularly 1 to that type of shoveling machine known as a trench digger. It is an object" of this invention to facilitate the digging of trenches or other excavation work automatically and preferably by pneumatic or pressure fluid means lessening the manual labor usually employed for such operations.

1 This and other objects are accomplished by providing a wheeled machine capable of being pushed forward by a single operator and completely operated by him from his normal position at the rear of the machine. Bya very slight effort on the part of the operator comparatively large quantities of material may be removed at each operation,

the shoveling portion of the machine being forced into the material to be removed by pneumatic percussive means and removed as well by pneumatic devices. The material v thus loaded on the shovel and raised is autopractice of the invention.

matically swung laterally and dumped or thrown to the side by means which cooperates with the lifting devices.

. The invention will be more clearly under stood by referring to'the drawings which" illustrates an improved form which the invention may assume in practice.

Iii the drawings l Figure 1 is the top view of an excavatingmachine constructed in accordance withthe Figure 2 is a viewof the shovel empty ing mechanism taken on the line 2'-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional ele-'- vation of the valve chest taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated bythe arrows.

Figure at is a side elevation of the trench A digger party in section showing the shovel in place in the trench, and

Figure 5 1s a view slmila-r to Flgure 4 A showing the shovel at the moment of empty in. i

Fiieferring more particularly to the draw ings A designates the frame of the machine in this instance built of steel channel beams B securely tied together by cross pieces C. Theframe A is mounted on wheels D carried by an axle E which supports the upright angle bars F to which the channel beams B are fastened. A shoe G is carried at the lower end of an upright H which is braced by slanting members J secured to the shoe G and the forward end of the carriage A. Handles K are provided for moving the machine from place to place and for the convenience of the operator.

A shovelL is mounted on the end of a rod 0 which is secured in apneumatic hammer P and the whole shovel mechanism is 'slung in'place in a novel manner. A yoke Q secured to the shovel handle carries lever arms R and R to which are attached chains ,parts of'the machine. To ring V in the rearward end of the shovel handle are fastened chains X which are then fastened to the frame members at J.

Axcollar Y having an eye Z is located at the forward end of the shovel handle 0 and a cable I) is attached to the eye Z. A lever arm a is mounted on a pin (1 which is secured in the frame of the machine.

A pulley f having a sheave g is mounted on a pin it which is likewise secured to the frame of. the

machine. l

Crosspiecesj fixed tothe frame bars B in any suitable manner provide a base for a cylinder Z0. Mounted in the cylinder is is the piston 0 having a piston rod 27 which passes thru a suitable hole gin plate 1" which closes the forward end of the cylinder is. Mounted on the forward end of the piston rod p is a pulley s havinga sheave t rotatable on a pin it. The rearward end of cylinder K is closed, by a plate pierced by an aperture to thru which extends a rod m which slidably fits the aperture to. A bell crank 3 mounted on the frame of the machine at a has one arm 3 coni'iected to the rod by a pin 5 and the other-arm 4 connected to the link Gby a pin 7. The link 6 is rigidly attached to the lever arms T and T by arm 34.

V A valve chest 8 mounted on the cylinder Ir is supplied with'pressure fluid thru hoses 9 and 10, thesupply in hose. 9 beingunder constant pressure din-ing the operation of the machine. A piston 11 having a head 12, a larger head 13 and a reduced central portion lelioperates a D valve 15. The piston 11 is slidably mounted in the valve chest, the heads 12 and 13 fitting cylinders 16 and 17 respectively, cylinder 17 being closedby a head 18. The reduced central; portion 1 ot} the piston 11 is adapted to fit securely over the Di valve 15 and the, piston reciprocates the D valve, alternately opens, and closes'an inlet passage 19, which communicates with the cylinder 70. The D valve 15 also controls an exhaust passage 20. ,An enlargement 21 on the valve chest 8 is bored toform a, passage 22. Passages 23 and; 24 provide communication between, the passage 22 and. a valve chamber 25 and the cylinder 17 respectively. 7 i

The rod: which projects into the rear-' ward; end: of the cylinder also passes thru a guide 26 mounted on the. frame of. the machine. A. helical'spring 27 is mounted on the rod 40- between. the guide 26 and. an enlarged shoulder 28-. on the rod m."

The supply t pressure fluid tothe machine. is controlled" by suitable. throttle valves 29 and 30 under thev control of the; throttle levers 31 and 32 respectively. Thepneumatic hammer P, which may be one of several well known types, is supplied withv pressure fluid' thru a hose 33 and this. sup-v ply is under the. controli of the valve 30, the cylinder supply in hose being controlled by valve 29. f

- To understand the operation 0t the ma-i chine assume the shovel. L to be in. the position shown in Figure 5. The operator-thenv opens thevalve 29 andrpressure fluid: entering the cylinder 1-? forces the pistoni 1L forward thus permitting pressure fluid in,v the forward end of cylinder: 70- to exhaust to the cltDlOS-w phere thrii passages l9flflll 20,. the Dmalve l 5 functioning so as to provide a connecting. passage between: passagesl9 and As thepressure fluid starts to exhaust from the cylinder to 7G the. weight of the shovel: L actingthru. the cable Z) and thepulley sheaves g and. z pulls the piston, 0 forward and the shovel Lf falls to its position as shown in Figure eh At this point the operatoropens the valve and pressure fluid starts the pneumatic hammer P and the shovel is driven, forward under the clay orothei -substance toibeshoveled. Throttle valve; 29 is then closed permitting the pressure fluid in the valve chamber to; force-the piston, 11 rearwardlythus {opening the passage. .19 The piston 0 is then forced rearwardly by cooperating earth. As the piston 0 rapidly approaches the. rearward end of thecylinder it strikes the projecting rod a: forcing it outwardly against the resistance of the spring 27. The bell crank y is attached at one arm end to the rod 30 and the backward movement of the rod eauses'the bell cranktotn-rnon its aegis, tending to compress link 6 which link acting thru the arm 34: tightens chain S and tends to relieve tension in chain S thus tilt! ing the shovel and emptying its contents.

@ne great advantagev of this shoveling machine is found in its lightness simplicity since the. average workman soon learns how to handle the. machineland a skilled operator isinot essential to itsv eflicientuse, H l i I claim:v

1 1, An excavating machine. comprising a frame, a shovel suspended from said frame,

mea-ns to tilt and dump said shovel,

3. An excavating niachinefcomprising a frame, a shovel suspended, from-said frame, fluid actuated percussive means for driving said shovel; forward, means for raising and moving said shovel forwardly said means ineluding a rigid arm pivoted; to the said 7 frame and afle'xiblermember' attached to said armwand to, said shovel and automatic means to tilt and, dump said shovel, said meansincl uding a system of levers and; links I} with, flexible means attached to said; shovel handle,

4-. An excavating machine. comprising a frame,a shovel suspended from said frame fluidi actuated pereussivekmeans for driving saidshovel forward, meansfor raising and moving said shovel forwardly said, means in cluding a; rigid arms pivoted to the said frame,;and a flexible member attached to said arm'and to; said shovel, antomaticmeans to. tilt; and dump said. shovel, saidineans inpluding a system; of levers and links cooperating with flexible means attached to said. shovelhandle and flexible means at-.

said shovel handle for limiting longitudinal rearward movement of said shovel.

5. An excavating machine comprising a. frame, a shovel suspended from said frame, fluid actuated percussive means for driving said shovel forward, pneumatic means for raising and moving said shovel forwardly, said means including a rigid arm pivoted to the said frame and a flexible member attached to said shovel and said arm, a plunger v10 In testimony whereof I have signed this 15 specification.

CHARLES C. HANSEN. 

